Marauders of Mischief
by JourneyToPleiades
Summary: Before Harry Potter, there were four best friends, a fiery girl, and a misunderstood boy. And this is their story. Book 1.
1. Chapter 1

_**Well, this is a first co-writing attempt on both our parts. Since we both use the same account, we'll say that our code names are Star and Phoenix. Phoenix wrote this chapter and Star edited it.**_

_**Also, Phoenix finds that she has a habit of sticking Author's Notes in the middle of the story. So if she does, please bear with us. She has an annoying habit of making random comments at some point and just can't stop herself. You may skip them if you wish. Although they are funny and sometimes important.**_

_**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and this world. We're just working with it. If we did own it, we would make a series about the Marauders.**_

_**Happy reading! **_

Eleven year old Lily Evans was happy. Very happy. She had just received her letter from Hogwarts saying that she was accepted. She ran down the street to her best friend's, Severus, house. It was a dark cottage, but she didn't mind. Knocking hard on the door, she was bursting with anticipation to tell Sev all about the letter. He answered very soon. As usual, he looked sour at first, but as soon as he saw her, his face broke out in a grin.

"Lily! To what do I owe this pleasure?"Sev asked. Lily giggled. Sev was always so…so _mature_ and _gentlemanly_.

"Sev! Guess what? I got the letter to Hogwarts today!"

"So did I! This'll be such fun!"

"Come on, Sevvy, let's go to the clearing," Lily said, referring to the forest clearing where they spent their days together. Grabbing his wrist, she dragged him out of the cottage and towards the clearing.

Once there, they chatted about everything they had to look forward too, while Severus told Lily all about Hogwarts, everything they hadn't already talked about, and more about the magic world to boot. Lily asked questions frequently, and squealed in delight sometimes, and so they spent the afternoon, enjoying each other's company while sitting under the shady trees.

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James Potter sat lounging on his back porch of his very luxurious house. He had received his letter from Hogwarts, just as he knew he would. And therefore, he was not as excited as most would be. Besides, he was rather cocky, and to be excited about something so trivial…well, he shuddered to think of it. His parents, however, had been all over it. But he supposed that parents were parents and therefore, that explained everything. They were in Diagon Alley right now, getting his supplies and such. James slurped at his lemonade, and decided to go flying on his broom. And that was how he spent his afternoon.

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Sirius Black sat on his bed, reading the Hogwarts acceptance letter, and snorted derisively to himself. Of course they were going to accept him! Of course they were going to let him in! He, who had been showing signs of magic since he was four, not getting into Hogwarts? The thought was laughable. He lay back on his bed, grinning. Someone knocked at his door.

"Who is it?" he asked rather boredly.

"Regulus," he brother answered, not put off at all by his unfriendly brother.

"Come in, then, Reg," Sirius said cheerfully. He liked Regulus. He wasn't as… Dark, you could say, as the rest of the family. Besides, he was in a good mood today. Hogwarts…maybe he would end up different than the rest of his family and be in Gryffindor! Or Ravenclaw…he supposed he wouldn't mind Ravenclaw. But Hufflepuff? Fat chance! He would die. Sirius laughed maniacally at the thought of him, brilliant Heir of the Blacks, in _Hufflepuff_. Yeah right. Regulus looked at him slightly worried. Sirius shook his head.

"It's nothing, I was just imagining Sirius of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black in Hufflepuff…"Regulus guffawed at this too.

"Right likely. I think Mum would like it better if you were in Ravenclaw or even Gryffindor. Slytherin would be the best, I think, though." Sirius decided not to correct his brother on that. And the two brothers spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away.

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A young, handsome boy sat by the lake on his multiple-acre property. Or rather, this boy _would_ have been handsome if not for the scars across his body, if not for the gaunt thinness of him, if not for the dark circles under his eyes, if not for the shadow in his face, if not for the shoulders that looked too heavy for such a small person, if not for the sadness that seemed to hang around him. He would have been handsome, very handsome, beautiful even, if his huge, beautiful gold eyes that used to be forget-me-not blue were allowed to come out, if he were normal and his beautiful thick gold and brown hair were allowed to stand out, if he ate enough to grow past his current three foot eightstatus and to actually not look as if he were starving, if he wasn't scarred, mentally and physically, if he wasn't a very serious insomniac. If he were normal. But he wasn't normal. This young, would-be-handsome boy was named Remus Lupin.

He sat by the lake reading his Hogwarts letter, his heart thumping. A school that would accept him! Even with his condition! For no magical school would take him because of his condition, and he was not allowed to go to a Muggle school for fear that the Muggles would find out. And here was a letter saying that there was no reason that he should not be allowed to attend Hogwarts if the proper precautions were taken! He almost danced in happiness, his eyes changing from hazel-gold to bright blue. Mum, Dad, and Roma would be so happy. Smiling, he took off his shirt to reveal a torso covered in scars, old and new, and dove into the lake.

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Peter sighed. He was going to Hogwarts. Yippee. . He wished he wasn't. Not being very good at magic, he did not want to feel inadequate next to other students. But he was going anyways. And his mother was dead proud. Even worse. Ugh, proud parents equaled fawning over and never being left alone.

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Lily and Severus walked together onto Platform 9 3/4. Her parents hugged her and Sev goodbye, because Sev's parents had not come to see their son off, and Lily's parents had taken him instead. And so, they loaded their trunks and boarded the train, searching for a compartment together. Sev looked at Lily's five foot one frame, her thick red hair, her brilliant green eyes, her creamy skin, and her look of being loved and well cared for. He thought of himself, five foot four with stringy black hair, dark brown eyes, his sallow, almost greenish skin, and a gauntness to him that never left, and reflected upon how lucky he was to have her as a friend.

A black robed, slightly embarrassed and flushing James was hugged and fussed over by his parents, and rolled his eyes. He ruffled up his hair some more. James Potter was exactly five foot two, with hazel eyes, a crooked grin, thick glasses, unruly black hair, a light tan, and was as thin as it is possible to be while also being completely healthy. This made him even more cocky and vain.

Sirius disdainfully put up his trunk and searched for a compartment. His parents had come and told him to be good. Fat chance. Sirius saw a mirror and admired himself. He was five foot four, with long, black, shaggy hair that fell with grace over his elegantly shaped face, chocolate brown eyes, olive toned skin, a perfect smile, and was slender but not exceedingly thin. You could see that, even through his robes. He was, in short, absolutely gorgeous, and he knew it, too. This made Sirius very self conscious and slightly arrogant, and he walked with an unknowing swagger as he looked for a compartment.

Wearing some old Muggle clothes, Remus placed his trunk carefully in the trunk compartment and went to the back of the train immediately. He knew, logically, that the ones in the front would have been taken up already because he was a little late, and he was an analytical and extremely logical thinker, so he did as he thought. He was right. As he walked, he saw that almost all the compartments were filled, and like he expected, he saw an empty one at the back almost immediately. Remus was very tired due to his serious insomnia, so he sat down, cupped his cheek, and went to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Peter was lost. And he found the train two minutes before it left. So, therefore, he rushed everything and managed to trip over his robes. Twice.

James looked for an empty compartment here and there, but they were all filled. So he went to the back and looked. There was one with only one person it. The person was very, very skinny—much skinnier than James (and James had not thought it to be humanly possible while still being healthy—he was right, but Remus was not healthy, or even entirely human) and was almost all skin and bones. In fact, the skinny boy was sleeping, so James went inside the compartment and sat down, looking over the boy for a few moments. A few minutes later, a good looking, shaggy haired boy poked his head in.

"Can I come in? I don't really want to sit anywhere else." James nodded, and the boy came in. "My name is Sirius, what's yours?"

"James Potter. Shh, look, that boy is sleeping."

"Okay. Let's start talking. I'll go first. James Potter, you are a scrawny git."

"Gee, thanks. But if you think _I'm_ scrawny, look at sleeping boy there," James retorted. Sirius looked.

"Oh my. We're going to have to make sure he gets something to eat. Look, he's all skin and bones."

"I know. Who d'you reckon he is?"

"Someone who is tired lots, does not come from an especially rich family, and is often sick."

"How do you figure that?"

"My family taught me how to judge people from appearances—health, status, and wealth."

"Ah. Well, what do you think of me?"

"Rich family, enjoys sports—Quidditch, I'm guessing?—, thin person who eats tons but doesn't seem to grow much, doesn't enjoy schoolwork, troublemaker, very healthy."

"And…that is creepily accurate."

"My family taught me well." A chubby boy poked his head in.

"Can I join you?" the ample boy asked.

"Sure, why not?" Sirius said. Peter sat down. "Name's Peter. Peter Pettigrew," he stated nonchalantly. And though they did not know it then, the group known as the Marauders was together for the very first time.

"I am Sirius, this is James Potter, and that is Sleeping-Boy—for the time being," Sirius said, pointing his finger at everyone in turn. Peter looked at Sleeping-Boy.

"He's very thin," was the first thing that escaped his mouth.

"I know, right? We've got to get him something to eat," James laughed.

"Yeah, see, James here is a scrawny git. Now, Sleeping-Boy is a—what's scrawnier than scrawny?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know…gaunt? Skeletal?" James offered.

"That's it, skeletal. Sleeping-Boy is a skeletal…skeleton?"

"Nice, Sirius, nice. Who would have thunk it? A skeleton, skeletal? Absolutely not. Maybe we should change his name to Sleeping Skeleton."

"Not a bad idea."

"I was joking."

"I wasn't." Sleeping Skeleton stirred a little.

"Shh!" James said. Sirius took no heed.

"Hey, Sleeping Skeleton!"

"Don't wake him!" James said. Sirius looked slightly offended. But it was too late. Sleeping Skeleton had woken up. He blinked open his eyes, and Sirius, startled, edged back a little. The boy's eyes were huge. Huge and bright _gold_. With emerald green around the pupils. That just wasn't right. The boy seemed nervous and scared at the sight of them. Sirius was the first to make a greeting, trying to make up for being scared of the boy.

"Hello, Skeleton Boy." The boy didn't say anything. James blinked in confusion as the Skeleton Boy did absolutely nothing to take notice of Sirius' greeting.

"He said hello, ya nipper." The boy still said nothing.

"Did you hear us? Hello-o-o?" Sirius asked.

"He's not replying," James said.

"Is he mute?" Sirius wondered.

"H-h-hello," the boy stuttered at last.

"Or not," Sirius muttered. "I'm Sirius. Who are you?" The skinny boy did not answer.

"Um…hello?"

"C-can I go b-back to sleep n-n-now?" the boy said hesitantly. Sirius looked at the small boy, dumbstruck, and then shrugged. Skeleton Boy turned around again and went to sleep. Or so it seemed to Sirius.

In fact, Remus was anything but asleep. He had very, very serious insomnia and as a result, would sometimes fall asleep at the worst moments, but other times, like now, he wouldn't have been able to fall asleep if his life depended on it. Remus was scared of becoming friends with the boys because he was sure they would leave him as soon as they found out his secret. His former friends all had. Because Remus hadn't had a friend since he was three. The ones he had were too repulsed and scared of him to continue being friends with him, and he had known few enough friends to start out with.

The rest of the train ride came and went, and Sleeping Skeleton woke up again. They met a dark, cadaverous future Slytherin named Severus and a fiery haired girl named Lily. James started drooling about Lily on sight, and swore that one day he was going to marry her. He and Sirius also hated Severus—or Snivellus, as they nicknamed him—immediately upon sight. But Peter was more open and said that they should give Severus a chance. Sirius told James that maybe Peter was right. This started a bickering match between James and Sirius which culminated in a lot of Chocolate Frogs and laughter. But James noticed that Skeleton Boy didn't even crack a smile at anything, which made him slightly confused. Didn't he find the humor in anything? But he let it go. He showed Sirius some joke items he had gotten, and they immediately started to plan some pranks. They decided the first one to be on Professor Dumbledore at the start-of-the-year feast, and knew exactly how to accomplish it.

As they got off the train, a huge giant of a man called, "Firs' years over here! Firs' years over here!" So Sirius, James, Peter, and Skeleton Boy walked over to the giant man by a lake, who instructed them, "Four to a boat, four to a boat, ye hear?" So, naturally, Sirius, James, Peter and Skeleton Boy were in the same boat. Skeleton Boy steered the boat as the others discussed the lake.

"My dad said there was a giant squid in the lake," James said.

"Cool! Think we could see it?" Sirius excitedly inquired.

"Let's try," Peter said. The three boys leaned over one side, looking and looking, tipping the boat dangerously as they did so.

"If you're not careful, you're going to capsize the boat," Skeleton Boy grumbled. The boys paid him no heed.

"Hey! Hey Squid!" Sirius yelled, dancing on the side of the boat, while the other boys leaned out as far as possible, splashing the water.

"Oh, p-please don't," Skeleton Boy said softly, so softly that no one heard him. Sirius jumped once on the boat and it tipped over slightly, sending James, Sirius, and Peter into the water, but not Skeleton Boy, who had managed to hold on and rebalance the boat.

"Whoa!" James yelled as he was dumped into the water. Sirius came up and grinned slightly. He whispered something to James, whose eyes light up evilly. They swam to the boat that Skeleton Boy was in, and started to tip it over. Skeleton Boy momentarily lost his balance and looked at James and Sirius pleadingly.

"No—please—don't—" His words were cut off as the boys succeeded in tipping the boat over. Skeleton Boy was dumped mercilessly in the water, as the boat was turned completely upside down, and he had to struggle to get outside of the perimeter of the boat so he could breathe. Luckily, he could hold his breath for much longer than normal humans. But then, he decided to go a bit deeper to see what everything looked like from underwater. He stayed in the murky depths for a few minutes before he realized that his acquaintances would be getting worried. When he finally came up, he breathed quietly. Sirius breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, Skeleton Boy, you were down so long, we were beginning to think that you died. Five straight minutes! That's gotta be a record."

"AAAAAAAHHH!" This scream came from Peter. "The squid! The squid!"

"What?" James looked around…and then he saw the huge thrashing tentacles. The rest of the first years were way ahead by now, but the great, big, shaggy haired man turned around, shrugged, and turned back around. The tentacles started wrapping around the boys and lifting them up.

"Aaagh! The squid got me!" Sirius yelled.

"I think it got all of us!" James yelled. A gigantic head rose out of the water, a huge squishy head that would have been funny if it hadn't had a pair of very red eyes and red focused straight on the four very scared students. Well, three. Skeleton Boy was not at all alarmed. In fact, he started talking to it—the first coherent, non-stuttering sentences that the other boys had heard him say.

"Hello, squid. How are you? What's your name?"

"ARE YOU MENTAL!" Sirius screamed. That boy wouldn't even talk in complete sentences around other people, but he was talking calmly with a murderous _squid_? Skeleton Boy ignored him. Meanwhile, the squid made a lot of deep, guttural noises.

"You're lonely too? So am I. Well, Rocky, we seem to have a lot in common. You can call me John. It's my middle name, and it's easier than my first name anyways."

More guttural sounds ensued, and Skeleton Boy smirked.

"That would be because everyone thinks you're terrifying, and you said you accidentally ate a student fifty years ago and then regurgitated him before he could die? No wonder everyone's afraid. But I try to look past appearances."

More sounds.

"Thanks. Say, could you take us to the edge of the lake by the castle? Those two—" he jerked his head at James and Sirius,"—accidentally capsized our boat."

The squid seemed to nod. It lifted its tentacles that held the boys up to its head and gently deposited them there. Then it started swimming, keeping its head above water as its tentacles propelled it forward.

"I think we may be the only first-years ever to get across the lake on the giant squid," James muttered. Peter nodded fervently in agreement.

As they neared the shore, they heard a lot of frantic yelling and a few tall, dark figures running towards them. The giant squid named Rocky went to the very edge of the lake, plucked each one off gently and set them on the shore. Then it seemed to wave goodbye as it went back toward the center of the lake and sand down beneath the waves. One of the forefront figures came up toward them.

"Are you all right? The squid didn't hurt you?" A teacher was rushing towards them, her tall, thin bony frame looking oddly out of place as she checked all over them.

"We're fine. Skeleton Boy over there decided to talk to the squid, and talked it into carrying us here," Sirius said.

"Well, then, go to the feast, the Sorting is about to begin. Come along, come along…" the teacher said. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, I am your Transfiguration teacher as well as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House." They hurriedly made their way to the Great Hall (Sirius muttering "Minnie" along the way) and the four boys barely had a chance to look at the Hall before an old black hat on a stool in front of the entire school started singing.

_Oh a thousand years ago or so,_

_When I was but brand new,_

_Magic was free and no one could see_

_How it could be controlled_

_For bright new wizards had no place_

_To learn and tame their talent._

_So normalcy here was frightfully queer_

_To all the wizards who were,_

_And that was when four wizards and witches_

_Brightest of the age_

_Came together to form a school_

_Where magic could be shaped._

_Those good four founders were all of virtue_

_And Gryffindor was brave,_

_But Slytherin was cunning and slick_

_While Ravenclaw had the brains._

_Hufflepuff, she was loyal_

_And kept the four together_

_Until one day Slytherin left_

_And tore us all asunder_

_These four grand houses, like pillars four_

_Hold up the Hogwarts School_

_And may we all come together_

_To protect the best of our future._

The hat fell silent and the hall burst into applause as McGonagall started reading out names, telling them to come up to the stool when their name was called.

"Atkins, Cremarius!" she called. A brown haired boy got up and sat on a stool, and Professor McGonagall put an old black hat on the boy's head. Ten seconds later, the hat yelled, "Ravenclaw!" After Atkins, there was Barter (a Hufflepuff), and then it was Sirius. Sirius walked up, not the least bit nervous. The hat fell onto his head, and it started whispering in his ear.

"Mmm…a Black. But not a normal one…two much rebel in you. Too much…spunkiness for Slytherin. You're loyal…but you're not dedicated at all, or hardworking, for that matter, so, not Hufflepuff. Clever enough for Ravenclaw, but you're too…un-bookworm-ish? You don't like reading, studying, or listening to authority. But you're courageous, oh yes. So…GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled. Sirius smirked. He always knew he was going to break tradition, even if the hat had taken five minutes to decide.

Lily came up when her name was called, frightened slightly by everyone. The hat whispered quietly.

"Oh yes, oh yes, lots of spirit and bravely loyal. GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted. Ten seconds. That was rather short. The Gryffindor table stood up and burst into applause. She sat down smiling.

Remus went up nervously when his name was called. "Lupin, Remus" earned him a very wide grin from Sirius. He groaned inwardly. Of course. That gave his name away. There was a good reason Remus did not want everyone knowing his name. He was scared of making friends for fear that they would desert him. His new acquaintances knew he was different, but not quite as alien as he truly was. All his life he'd been outcast…because he was a werewolf. A beast. (A/N: Pointless foreshadowing up to this point) Not always, but he knew from experience that one night, one full moon, could change everything. So he was afraid. He forced himself to toss away these thoughts as he stepped up nervously to the hat. The old, brown thing was placed on his head. A minute passed, then a voice started whispering in his head.

"Ah, good form, this one. Hmm…a werewolf…now where will you fit? Cunning and slick enough for Slytherin, clever and bookish enough for Ravenclaw, hardworking and dedicated enough for Hufflepuff, brave and loyal enough for Gryffindor. Now, now, where should you be? Definitely enough stuff in you for you to make Slytherin—tough, strong, cunning, good at hiding things…but the same could be said for Ravenclaw. After all, you love reading and studying. You don't find many ones that love it as much as you do. But you'd do quite well in Hufflepuff too, really. You're not a rule breaker. You're loyal, dedicated, and hardworking. And Gryffindor…you're very brave, even if you don't see it. You're more daring than you realize, and loyal till the end. Ah, you are a tough nut to crack. Hmm…hmm…let's see…" the hat muttered. It fell into silence. Remus was very aware that he had been wearing the hat for at least five minutes now. It started talking again.

"Now, let's see…you love your family and would do anything for them. That's a point for Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. You use your own brains and cunning and devious lies to keep anyone from knowing about your lycanthropy. That would make a point for Slytherin and Ravenclaw. You don't have any friends, but if you did, you would do anything for them. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff…but if you felt something was really wrong, you would sneak around and not get caught because you are too intelligent. Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Oh dear, it's come down to a tie between all four again, hasn't it? I'll have to think about it a little more…" And the hat fell into silence again. It had been over ten minutes now. The hat had ruffled through a few of Remus' memories and thoughts, taking quite a long time with the second conversation. It now looked through more of Remus' past. A few minutes later, the hat spoke again.

"I think Slytherin's out; you need friends, and from what I've seen, you aren't likely to find some there. But otherwise, you would have been great in that house. Not Hufflepuff—you're too…secretive and closed. If not, that would have been good, but you're a little too clever for that house. I think you would have been quite bored there, honestly. So…no. Not Hufflepuff. Now it's down to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Hm. Hmm..." It had been twenty minutes already. The hall was getting restless. What in the world was taking so long? No one had ever been up there that long… Five minutes later, the hat began talking again.

"I've weighed your smarts and bravery, and they come out equal. I weighed your level mindedness and daring, and again, equal. You're very hard to decide for, Remus Lupin. You would have prospered in Slytherin, but you need companionship…" The hat was quiet once again. Remus was getting a bit impatient. Finally, the hat gave the verdict.

"Well, while you're perfectly suited to both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, I think you'll find that Ravenclaw investigates things too much and is more given to prejudice than Gryffindor, while Gryffindor tends to be more open. So, I think you'll be happiest in…GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finally yelled. Everyone cheered and clapped, even the Slytherins. Remus suspected it was because his Sorting had taken so damn long that everyone was impatient and glad to see him off the pedestal. He was right, but that didn't stop Sirius from grinning broadly up at him.

"Your name is Remus Lupin, eh? Funny, the hat took literally half an hour to sort you. Must be something special, eh? Come on, sit next to me." And Sirius dragged Remus into the seat beside him. Helpless, Remus obliged.

After a few more names, Peter was up. He was very nervous. He was not sure he was going to get into Gryffindor like the other boys he had met on the train, but he wasn't sure. His father said that he was going to be in Hufflepuff. He hoped not. He sat down on the stool.

"Hmmm…well, I just think that since you aren't going to work as well in the other houses, I will simply say you'll be in…GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted after a moment's thought. Relieved, Peter took off the hat and went to sit at the Gryffindor table next to the very shy Skeleton Boy from the train, who Peter now knew was called "Remus". He was looking down at his hands, not saying anything. Peter smiled a bit. He was really happy not to have been in Hufflepuff.

James sat on the stool, and about as soon as the hat touched his head, it yelled "Gryffindor!" So James grinned, bowed flamboyantly to everyone, whipped off the hat with a flourish, and handed it to Professor McGonagall. Then he pranced off to the Gryffindor table and sat down on the other side of Sirius.

Soon after came Severus. He was bemoaning the fact that Lily, his only friend in the world, was placed in Gryffindor. His entire family consisted of Slytherins, a fact he'd come to accept over the years. Sev felt Slytherin suited him. He only wished Lily could be with him. He slowly walked up to the hat and it was placed on his head. "Hmmm…you are a descendant of the Princes, yet you wish to be in…Gryffindor, you say? I could oblige to your wish, yet... I do not believe Gryffindor will quite befit you. As you are your mother's son, yes, yes, very cunning indeed, you shall be in…SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table stood and cheered loudly. Not surprised, Severus cast a final sad look upon Lily, then left to meet the members of his house.

The Sorting was finally over, and Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"To new students, welcome! To old students, welcome back! Before we eat, I have a few words to say to you! And they are: Twit! Oddsbodikins! Bubbles! And tickle! Now, tuck in!" With that, Professor Dumbledore sat down, smiling. Food appeared on the tables.

"Mental, he is," they heard someone near them mutter. James, Sirius, and Peter could only agree. They piled their plates high with food and dug in. Remus, however, was so astonished by all the food around him that he didn't know where to start. Being a very, very organized person, he rarely did anything without first considering every angle. So, therefore, he was currently contemplating what he should eat and the quantity thereof. Sirius groaned.

"Look, James, Remus has the world of food in front of him and he still won't eat. We must do something! Perhaps force it down his throat? Or will he just puke that up? Ah, James, we must have a plan! We must give food to the starving boy sitting next to us!"

"He has food. He's just not eating it," James pointed out.

"Even worse! Rejecting the gift of food!" Sirius sighed dramatically. Remus said absolutely nothing, just kept going with his mental calculations, refusing to eat before he had all the food prioritized and numbered. Suddenly, Sirius sighed, picked up a spoon, spooned up a heap of mashed potatoes, and shoved it in Remus' mouth, forcing Remus to swallow it down, choking. Remus looked at Sirius with wide, surprised eyes. Sirius groaned.

"Ugh, now look, he's making hurt puppy eyes at me! James, what am I s'posed to do?"

"I dunno, apologize for shoving a great big spoonful of potatoes down his throat."

"But he wasn't eating!"

"Ah. In that case, go on," James said, smirking. Suddenly, the red haired girl, Lily, turned on them.

"What gives you the right to force him to do something he doesn't want to?" she hissed, her green eyes flashing furiously.

"He's not _eating_!" Sirius whined.

"So? Does that justify you shoving food down his throat?"

"Actually, yes it does."

"You are an _idiot_."

"But Fire-Head, look at him! He's a skeleton! In fact, we nicknamed him Sleeping Skeleton!"

"_Sleeping_ Skeleton?"

"What? He fell asleep on the train!"

"And _Fire Head_?"

"You have a head of fiery hair!" Lily turned away in disgust at this.

"Come on, Remus, do you want to sit next to me instead?" Remus' already huge eyes flared in shock.

"Y-you know me?" the boy said hesitantly.

"I _did_ pay attention to the Sorting, and you were...different," Lily said, not really knowing if it was the right thing to say. Remus looked down at his currently empty plate, then nodded, getting up and moving to the other side of Lily, so that she separated him and Sirius.

"Hey—wait—c'mon, Remus! I didn't do anything _that_ bad!" Remus didn't do anything, just looked at him with those huge, huge eyes. Sirius noticed that they were brown now, not gold and green. Well, they were brown with gold flecks now...why were his eyes different colours anyways? The reason was that Remus was no longer quite so nervous and scared now, and was surprised by how warmly he was welcomed, not to mention how much Sirius seemed to want him to be okay. But still, he could not get too close to any of them...and also, he was not hiding his emotions. If he were, his eyes would be stuck on gold-ish hazel with blue around the pupils—what his eyes normally looked like.

When they were finished eating, the food cleared, and Dumbledore started talking.

"To all you uprising wizards and witches, good evening! I have a few reminders before we all go to bed." At this point, James and Sirius put their plan into action. Carefully, making sure nobody was watching, they set Mr. Dobber's Clothes Changing Dust toward Professor Dumbledore with a single word—no wands required. As soon as it reached its target, Dumbledore's dark blue robes with start changed to lurid pink, and his robes shortened and flared out. The sleeves rolled up, tightening around his arms. Lace appeared everywhere, and red hearts and flowers covered the dress. Dumbledore's wizard hat shrunk and morphed into a bright pink butterfly bow. His hair started twisting up on itself, creating a bun with a good one and a half feet of hair still falling out of it. His beard became very, very shiny and put, Dumbledore was now wearing a horrible, poufy, bright pink dress that came down just past his very knobby knees, with a ludicrous pink butterfly hairband in his hair. Or, in an even shorter form, Dumbledore now looked like a six foot five inch, skinny teenage girl with a very long beard. The students began murmuring, some laughing aloud at the spectacle. The teachers stared in shock, and Professor McGonagall looked furious. Yet Dumbledore did not seem to notice, and continued with his speech.

"The Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden to all students, of age or not. Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that there will be no magic in the corridors. And Professor Jenkins has planted a new tree called the Whomping Willow in the school grounds as a project. It is very dangerous and will not hesitate to hurt any student to gets too close. That is all, I believe." The students hadn't stopped murmuring, talking, and laughing at Dumbledore, who apparently still hadn't noticed anything. However, McGonagall looked positively livid. She stood up as soon as Dumbledore finished.

"Which one of you is responsible for this ludicrous prank?" she hissed, her eyes flashing. Sirius stood up.

"Ah, Minnie! How my heart yearns for you! Though we have met naught but a few minutes ago, I can see that you are my one and only love!" Sirius cried dramatically, smiling dreamily and batting his eyelashes in a very flirtatious manner. James snorted with laughter, and the rest of the Great Hall followed suit. Professor McGonagall just stood there, mouth opening...then closing...then opening.

"Well, Mr. Black..." Professor McGonagall seemed unable to say anything more. Sirius only laughed, then stood up on the table.

"Look, my lovely comrades in arms, my dear Minnie, my princess, is at a loss for words, she loves me so, oh how I can make her blush and shine under my gaze, ah, my lady fair, there is no more need to hide, as our love—"

"Mr. Black, that is enough, ten points from Gryffindor!" McGonagall all but screamed. Grinning, Sirius sat down.

A few minutes later, the feast ended and the prefects started to take the first years up. Remus was whisked away by McGonagall, much to the other students' confusion. Remus himself was not surprised at all; he had known this would happen.

McGonagall took him to the Headmaster's office, which was hidden behind a pair of gargoyles. Muttering the password (Blood Pops), she swept him up the circular staircase, ushering him into the office. Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking serene. He smiled understandingly when the tiny boy was almost shoved inside his office.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin. Come, come, sit in that chair right there. No need to be nervous, yes?" Remus hesitantly sat down in the proffered chair, very, very nervous.

"No need to be jittery. Now, as you know, I have called you to tell you of the arrangements we have made for your transformations. You remember the Whomping Willow I informed the students of at the Opening feast? That is the entrance to a secret house where you will go every month. Madam Pomfrey will escort you from the hospital wing. It is your responsibility to be at the hospital wing an hour before sunset. The first time, however, she will take you to the Willow. After that, it will be solely your responsibility. Can I entrust you with that?" Remus nodded vigorously. He could do anything for the Headmaster, as long as it meant he would be able to go to school.

"Very well, you are dismissed, Mr. Lupin. I hope you have a good night. The password to Gryffindor Tower is Hungarian Horntail. Professor McGonagall will see you there. Good night." And with that, Remus left Professor Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall did indeed escort him up Gryffindor Tower, and also ensured that he would be completely and utterly lost without a guide.

As he entered the dorm, he noticed the four other boys in their beds, all fast asleep. There were Sirius, Peter, and James, the boys he had met on the train, and one black haired boy he did not recognize who looked distinctly Asian. He sighed. He would never be able to befriend these boys. Ever. Feeling tired, he lay the last available bed (which was by the window), where his trunk was already situated and tried to go to sleep.

_**Well, what do you think? Reviews are love! Tell us if you liked it!**_


	2. Chapter 2

To know who is speaking:

**Star**

_**Phoenix**_

_**Both of us**_

**Okay people, sorry about the wait! **

_**Star, shush. We're not hyperactive like Sirius is. And what Star meant to say was, we are deeply sorry about the long wait, but our school just started up, and we are both adjusting.**_

_**Phoenix wrote half of this chapter, Star wrote the other half, and Phoenix edited it. Reviews are love!**_

**Disclaimer: As much as we looooove it, we sadly do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. All we own is Adrian. Excuse us while we cry.**

_**Star, we're not going to cry. Not me, at least. All hail the wonderful Phoenix! Kidding, kidding…jeez, can't people take a joke these days?**_

As much as he tried, sleep absolutely refused to come to Remus, even though he felt dead tired. Insomnia was a really horrible thing to have at times, he decided. It wasn't as if it were something new; he had had insomnia ever since the werewolf bite. Remus remembered how he would used to wake up screaming in the night, and how his mother would always come and comfort him, singing him songs and stroking his hair, staying with him until his fear had passed and he was asleep again. Sometimes she would even sleep with him for the night. He remembered how he was so scared of falling asleep that he would try to not go to sleep at all, and the result was always that he was dead tired. Romula (or Roma, as they often called her), Remus' little sister by one year, would always try to come in and comfort him, with varying results. Sometimes, when he was asleep and having a nightmare, he wouldn't wake up until someone actually knocked him from his bed onto the floor, yelling in his ear as they did so. They were terrifying, his nightmares, and they had only really started after he was bitten.

Remus remembered the night he had been bitten very, very clearly. It was full moon, obviously, and his mother, being the local Potions mistress in their village in France, often went out into the night to gather ingredients in the forest behind their house. Remus always went with her, ever since he could walk. And it had always only been the two of them, even after Roma was born. His mother had said that it was a special time just for them. They would run out into the moonlight, laughing and dancing along the way. Back then, Remus had loved the moon. It was always so beautiful and so warm and loving—at least, it seemed, to him.

But then came that night—his third birthday. His father was unusually jumpy and very, very nervous that day. His mother had berated him for not making Remus' birthday happier. It had also been the full moon that night, the best night to gather potion ingredients. His mother had wanted to go out that night, both to gather ingredients and to show her son some things about the forest for his birthday, but his father had refused to let her. And that night, they got into a quarrel—a loud and scary one. So Remus, being only three and not knowing any better, went out into the forest alone, laying under his favorite tree at the edge of the woods (it was very close to the house), looking up at the full moon, so bright and comforting. And that was when he heard the growl—so close to him, and he saw a pair of luminous, golden eyes staring right at him. Now, Remus, being three years old, thought the world was a good and wonderful place where nothing could hurt him, as long as him parents were near. So he didn't move, just smiled brightly at the pair of eyes.

That was possibly the worst mistake in his life. The werewolf, growling, leapt at him, tearing at him. Remus screamed just as the wolf bit down on his arm, tearing through muscles and flesh, its claws ripping at him. Remus screamed and screamed. His father came at some point and knocked the wolf off with a spell, and shot more spells at the wolf. The wolf ran off after a red beam of light hit it, leaving Remus' mauled body on the ground. Remus remembered being picked up by his father, but he had blacked out after that.

The next time Remus woke, he was in a white bed with white sheets and white walls and a white ceiling. Everything was white…except for the bandages around him. Remus could tell they had originally been white, too, but they were red now. He hurt everywhere, and he heard people whispering around him.

"He's awake…he looks so tiny and helpless…" his mother muttered.

"He's a werewolf now, though…nothing you can do or say will help him. It would be better to just put him down—" an unfamiliar voice said.

"HOW DARE YOU? HE IS MY SON! HOW DARE YOU EVEN SUGGEST SUCH A THING!" his father yelled.

"John, please, calm down," his mother said softly.

"Iris, they want to kill our son. Our son!"

"I know. And we won't let them. But you shouldn't just let go like that."

The Healer shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid he will no longer be accepted—anywhere. He is a monster."

And from then on, Remus was "the monster". After their friends in France found out, they abandoned the Lupin family. Beauxbatons refused to take in a werewolf, so they moved out of the country. But Remus supposed he should be thankful; his family had never turned their backs on him, and Roma was the best sister anyone could ever ask for. And yet, it was so hard to accept that just because he was a werewolf, everyone either pitied him or looked down on him. For his family, it was the former.

Remus remembered his first transformation. He was three and didn't understand the pain he was suffering. The wolf punished him badly, and when morning came, it found him broken and bloody on the floor in the cellar. He had cried and screamed when his father had come to pick him up, and Remus' father could only hope to heal the horrible wounds marring his son's body. Remus hadn't understood why he was subject to such pain. He had asked his father, "What have I done to make me hurt so bad?", and his father had cried then, stroking his son's hair, and murmured, "Nothing, love. You did nothing to deserve this." But from that time on, Remus hadn't ever cried, ever again. There were times when he had come close, but he had never, ever, _ever_ cried again. It wasn't that he was against crying; it was just that after his first transformation, there had been nothing worth crying about. His friends had all left him even before then, and there was a huge empty hole where his heart should have been. And after hours of lying there in bed, he finally drifted off. And yet, even in his dreams, he found no peace.

_He silently padded to the room where James and Sirius jabbered. They were joyously chattering about plans of pulling pranks on the many teachers of Hogwarts. Remus, growing closer and closer to the boys, bared his sharp, gleaming teeth. Suddenly growling, he lunged at them…_

Remus awoke from his nightmare in a cold sweat. He nervously glanced around the room. James was sprawled across his bed, mumbling in his sleep about wanting to ride a unicorn, Sirius slept rather restlessly, twitching and tossing about, Peter snored very loudly as he clutched his pillow, and the Asian boy (what was his name, anyways?) slept soundly on his side. It was an hour before dawn broke, and so Remus got dressed in his shabby, secondhand robes. He didn't very much care, though; at least he _had_ robes. Sighing, he sat on the windowsill, gazing down on the grounds. The Willow was visible from here…he hated that there were reminders of his lycanthropy everywhere. The lunar calendar in his trunk, the Willow standing mockingly outside the window, the moon in the sky, even common Sickles sent a pang through his heart, since he could not touch them because his lycanthropy caused silver to burn him badly. When he stared down at the Whomping Willow, it was almost like defying his lycanthropy, telling it that it couldn't hurt him anymore. Of course, that wasn't true, and it never would be, but it helped that it felt like that; for a little, anyways. And besides, watching the sun rise was always a nice experience, and he had the perfect vantage point—he could see both the sunset and sunrise perfectly. And for the three thousandth and ninety seventh time, Remus John Lupin watched the sunrise.

Sirius woke up just as the sun was rising. He couldn't help it, really; back home, his parents always forced him up as soon as the first glimpse of sun was visible. He thought he would be the first up and have some fun waking the others up, so imagine his surprise when he noticed the small figure dressed in oversized, shabby robes sitting on the windowsill. Hesitantly, he walked forward.

"Remus?" he asked tentatively. The boy, like on the train yesterday, did not reply. Sirius tried again. "Remus? Er…good morning?" The boy didn't move. It was as if in his world, Sirius did not exist and wasn't there at all. Sirius gave up and went back to plotting how to wake the others up. He thought maybe a glass of freezing water for Peter, jumping on James, and screaming in the ear and then pushing off the bed for Adrian, the other Asian boy. So he went to the bathroom and procured three cups of icy water and went to Peter's bed. Then he unceremoniously dumped one cup on Peter's head. Peter woke up screaming, except that Sirius had covered his mouth with his hand. Pressing a finger to his lips, Sirius released Peter.

"What was that for?" Peter asked. He did not appreciate chilly water dumped on him first thing in the morning.

"Time to wake up, Petey-bird!" Sirius chirped, frightfully happy. Peter groaned and turned back into his pillow, not wanting to wake up. Sirius only took the next cup and poured it on Peter too.

"What do you want?" Peter exclaimed after being doused with freezing water again.

"Time to get up!" Sirius sang. Mumbling, Peter lay down again—just in time to receive the third cup of water head on. He huffed and sat up.

"Fine! I'll get up! Just—no more water! Please!" Sirius beamed and went over to James, who was miraculously still asleep. This time, Sirius gagged James, and then bounced on his back. _Bounced_. Poor James. He was awakened to a feeling of a great big very heavy bouncy ball bouncing up and down on him. And he was unable to say a thing...

"Wakey wakey, Jamie-boy!" Sirius said, bouncing the entire time. Muffled cries emitted from James' gagged mouth. He struggled out from underneath Sirius, and shoved him off the bed. Then he tried to undo the gag, and succeeded after a few minutes.

"What the hell!" James exclaimed.

"Time to get up!"

"It's barely dawn!"

"Don't care! Now shh!" Sirius tiptoed over to Adrian's bed. The Asian boy seemed asleep (but how could he be, with all the noise?), but as soon as Sirius leaned down…

"ACK! ACK! THERE'S A CRAZY MURDERER IN THE ROOM! HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME! JAMES! HELP! ASIAN BOY IS INSANE! HE'S MURDERING ME! HE'S MOLESTING ME!" Sirius screeched. Adrian looked bemused, letting go of Sirius' throat.

"All I did was touch him," the boy said in his Asian accent.

"You wrapped your hands around my throat! You were trying to kill me! MURDERER!" Sirius yelled, unaware that Adrian was gesturing helplessly at James, who shrugged.

"Sirius, no one ever tried to kill you, now shut up. Breakfast starts at dawn, anyways, and ends at…seven thirty? Yeah…I'm hungry. Let's get dressed," James said, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Ooo! Food! Let's go now!"

"Sirius, you haven't gotten dressed yet," Peter pointed out.

"Oh yeah, right. Um…let's get changed, then! And then food!" Sirius dove into his trunk, throwing out items. The Asian boy went over to Remus to make introductions.

"Hello there. You weren't here last night. What's your name?"

"He's Sleeping Skeleton," James yelled from the bathroom.

" Sleeping Skeleton, the lovely lady assisting you is Adrianna."The boy was quick and sharp in his reply.

"ADRIAN! It's Adrian!"

"Whatever, Adrianna," Sirius chirpily shot back.

"Ugh. Well, anyways, it's Adrian. Nice to meet you." He then scurried off to get ready. Remus was quite shaken by all this. Nobody ever tried to befriend him. He was scared of losing them if he ever befriended them, so he kept to himself. He wasn't ever going to go through that torture again, of gaining a friend then losing them to something he couldn't help.

At this point, Sirius and James had come out of the bathroom and started making quite a mess—everywhere. Remus slipped silently out of the dorm and into the common room, where he proceeded to go to the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, back in the boys' dorm, it was pandemonium. James and Sirius were engaged in a fierce argument about whether or not Sirius could just wear boxers and robes; Sirius said that he needed to be decent, James said it didn't matter. They started throwing clothes and other items at each other, laughing and yelling the entire time. Adrian groaned and left the dorm, leaving the other three boys. He wanted to check up on his twin sister (who was also a Gryffindor), anyways.

Peter joined the fight, and soon, they forgot what they were fighting about. They just enjoyed hurling random objects and tackling each other to the ground. Half an hour later, they lay panting in a heap on the ground. James poked his head out and said, "Hey, what happened to Adrian and Remus?" Sirius looked around; the two were indeed gone.

"Dunno. Probably went down to breakfast already," Sirius replied, not really caring. The three boys finished dressing and went down to breakfast together, laughing and joking all the while.

By the time they arrived, Remus had left already and Adrian was sitting with his sister down the table, finishing up. The three boys sat together at the table while Professor McGonagall handed them their timetables. Sirius took one look at his and let it flutter to the ground. Peter, however, looked through the classes.

"Eh, look, we've got Transfiguration first—"

"MINNIE! We get MINNIE first? Really? Oh, oh, let me see!" Sirius said, every ounce the big bouncy ball of hyperactivity. James grinned.

"Yup, McGoogles first period." Sirius got up, jumped on the table, and started dancing a happy dance right there on all the plates and food.

"MR. BLACK!"

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"So, Remus, are you excited? I know I sure am! This is our first class, after all. Have you ever studied Transfiguration? I rather enjoy watching my father Transfigure things. Why, this one time, he…" Lily, the redhead, was following Remus around, trying to get him to converse. This bothered James, and he showed it.

"Why don't you talk to me at all? I've heard of Transfiguration. I'd actually **say** something, unlike this little nipper." Lily huffed in annoyance and dashed off to try and crack Remus.

"Wait, Remy, I wasn't done telling my story!" Sirius and Peter laughed mirthfully as they approached a very miffed James.

"Did you see that, Peter?"

"Who woulda thunk it: the great James Potter, rejected!" They chortled some more.

"You'd best give up, you git! She _obviously _favors Sleeping Skeleton Remus!" Peter hooted. James then boxed the offending boy's ears.

"Shut up! Oh, you'll be sorry someday, when I—" James stopped as he saw two towering figures looming over him. One was a tall boy and the other was a girl, and both were very obviously Slytherin.

The tall boy was slim, pale, and ghost-like. His light blonde hair was cut short, making his already long, white neck seem longer. He had to be at least a 5th year, if not older. Accompanying him was a slightly shorter girl with snow-white skin and deep ebony hair. She was very beautiful (it would be folly to deny that), but in there was something that marred that beauty. Perhaps it was the maniac gleam in her eye and the heavy scowl, but Sirius thought, "_She looks almost like…Snivellus! Ah, Bella, what have you done to yourself?" _Amused at this thought, he started laughing as he took in her features. This obviously provoked Bella, who nodded at her accomplice as if to signal something. "Well, well, what do we have here, Bellatrix?" the boy started. "Looks like a few first years, all happy-go-lucky with their first year books, headed to their first year classes." Sirius was still laughing, but a very nervous Peter hit his shoulder, provoking a "Hey!" and silence. "Remember when you first came here, Lucius, what happened to you?" Bellatrix asked her friend. "Yes, and I believe that those little brats deserve it much more than I do." If James was intimidated, then he didn't show it. He strode up to the pair, smoothly saying, "I apologize, dears, but I do not believe we are acquainted."

"Oh, I'm tight with one of your little friends, isn't that right, **Sirius**?" said Lucius, casting a glare to Sirius. The brash child cast one right back. With a flip of his hair, he hoarsely whispered, "Lucius, we have no time for this right now." With faux sweetness, Bellatrix stated," I agree. Lucius, get the fat one." Peter, realizing that was him, gave a yelp and started to run off, but Lucius caught him by his ear and pulled him back.

"Mr. Malfoy! Just _what_ do you think you're doing!" A male teacher's scandalized voice rang out.

"Oh, Professor Jenkins, I was just helping these first years to their classes—" Professor Jenkins cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it, Mr. Malfoy! Let the first years go! Twenty points from Slytherin! And you a prefect…shame on you, Lucius, shame!" Growling, Lucius let go of Peter and stalked off, Bellatrix following him. The professor sighed.

"Good, they're gone. I don't even want to know how Malfoy made prefect…anyways, do you need help getting to your class?" Professor Jenkins asked.

"Er…yeah, we need to get to Transfiguration…d'you know where that is?" Peter said.

"Oh yes, just go straight on down from here, turn left, walk forward, take the second staircase down, go until the second right corridor, go to the end of the hallway, turn left, go down that staircase to the third corridor, turn at the first left turn, walk down that hallway, turn left again, you should get to some more staircases. Go to the first floor from there, walk to your right for a hundred paces, then turn into the right corridor. At the fourth corridor, turn left and continue walking there until you see a green door. Go through there and continue walking until you come upon a right turn. Turn, and then go down that corridor, where you take the third left. Go down the corridor…"

And so Professor continued for fifteen minutes, and by the time he finished, the boys were thoroughly confused. Professor Jenkins walked away as soon as he was done, humming. Peter looked around wildly, confused. Sirius scratched his head, and James looked simply bewildered.

"Let's at least try to follow his instructions…" Sirius said.

And so that was how, half an hour later, they found themselves in front of a yellow door with a lion painted on it.

"Did he ever mention a yellow door?" Peter asked.

"Er…yeah, right after something about a rose…" James replied.

"Okay. That's it. We are officially lost," Sirius announced.

"Arrrgh…" Peter groaned.

And so, after a good hour of being lost, they finally arrived at Transfiguration. The rest of the class was working on turning straws into needles. Professor McGonagall had been making rounds around the room, but as soon as she saw the three b0ys, huffing and puffing with exertion, she walked over, a very stern expression on her face.

"Mr. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew. You are an entire hour late to Transfiguration. What have you got to say about yourselves?"

"We're very sorry, Professor McGonagall. You see, we got lost at first, and then we ran into Professor Jenkins—" James began.

"Say no more," Professor McGonagall said. "I know where this is going…Professor Jenkins went and gave you obscure instructions to wander all over the castle, and you got completely lost due to his complete and utter idiocy when it comes to going in straight lines."

"Erm…yeah, that's pretty much what happened," Sirius said. Professor McGonagall sighed.

"Very well, I won't count off this time. But be aware that next time, there _will_ be consequences. You may take a seat." The boys sighed with relief. Professor McGonagall gave them each a piece of straw, and the boys attempted to turn it into needles. James succeeded on his third try, Sirius on his fourth. They noticed that out of the rest of the class, only little Remus Lupin had managed to turn his piece of straw into a needle as well, and was currently doing it again and again.

Sirius thought again of the petite boy and his utter shyness around people. He had never spoken to anyone unless forced to, and even then, it was quiet and almost inaudible. And his eyes…beautiful and large and apparently, color changing. He looked lonely too, and so, Sirius resolved to be his first friend at Hogwarts.

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After Transfiguration, the boys had Herbology. They recognized the professor as Professor Jenkins the wacko professor who had gotten them hopelessly lost. It was an enjoyable lesson; Professor Jenkins acted like a seven year old in an adult's body.

Then came lunch. Remus sat detached from everyone else—until Lily came along and plopped down next to him, jabbering his ear off.

"And then, you know, Tuney went and got a perm, so for once, Sev and I were left alone to play with. And then, so we tried to control our magic, and you know what, Remy? I did it! Sev had done it first, but it was so fun…we made little blades of grass grow all around us…" Remus just ate his lunch. He required more food than most humans because of his werewolf metabolism, but he didn't show it. He rarely ate enough to support his metabolism. Lily just kept talking…and talking…it sounded like she wasn't ever going to stop. But Remus didn't mind; the more chatter Lily came up with, the less he would have to talk.

James watched the duo of Lily and Remus silently and furiously. How come he—a little squirt who didn't talk _at all_—could make Lily Evans like him so much, but James couldn't even get her to look at him civilly? He really, really liked her…couldn't she see that? And yet…why in the world did she not pay attention to him? He growled softly. She was _his_!

After lunch, the Gryffindors had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Remus was excited for this class above all others. His lycanthropy…maybe there was a possibility that in this class, he could find a way to make it better!

But his hopes were dashed as soon as the professor began talking. Professor Alpine clearly abhorred every dark creature that existed—including werewolves. And maybe even especially werewolves. During his introduction of himself, he made it very clear that he thought werewolves the most despicable of creatures.

"And in all my travels all over the world, I have found that there is no more vicious creature, no more inhuman beast than the werewolf. Although it may _appear_ human, it is no more human than a rat. It is cunning and wily, but it has no _human_ emotion. Be aware that if you ever meet a werewolf, its ulterior motive will be to rip you apart during the full moon. It may appear friendly and human, but rest assured that no werewolf is human. The best thing to do as soon as you meet one of these creatures is to slay it, though if you are unable, you should get away from it as fast as you possibly can. And then you need to _stay away_ from the creature," Professor Alpine went on. Remus shifted uncomfortably. The professor _had_ to know Remus was a werewolf. He was prejudiced and hateful against them. And so, when the lesson ended, Remus ran out of there as fast as he was able without attracting attention.

Peter was the first to find Remus, huddling in the dormitory on his bed, quivering. He called James and Sirius over, but Remus, like he had for the past two days, refused to speak. He just sat there on his bed, shaking, until the others finally left him alone. All three of them were worried by this display.

Peter was confused. Why in the world was Remus this unwilling to speak? Even _Peter_ wasn't this horribly shy and nervous. Remus seemed like a hypersensitive, jumpy bundle of nerves. Even the tiniest little small thing could send the boy into wide eyed nervousness and running off. Peter wanted to help the other boy, but he couldn't see a way to.

James sighed. It had been quite a long first day. He was concerned about Remus, and was confused about the way their DADA professor had treated him—he had been shooting venomous looks at Remus all lesson. It was quite confusing, honestly. What did he have against Remus? James felt a rush of protectiveness engulfing him, and briefly wondered why he felt it, before realizing that thinking about Remus had brought it on. He sighed again. There was something different about that boy. James vowed to help him however he could.

Sirius wondered briefly what had happened to Remus to make him this pathologically shy, and then decided that whatever it was, he was going to do his best to make sure it didn't happen again. There was just something about the other boy that invoked a powerfully protective feeling in him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was pretty sure that if he could help it, Remus wouldn't be alone. Of course, that was a long way to go, seeing as Remus hadn't spoken more than a dozen words to him altogether and refused all attempts to socialize. But still…Sirius was absolutely determined to help him.


End file.
